HINDUISM AND

BUDDHISM

HINDUISM

HISTORY One of the

oldest religions in the world

Evolved from the beliefs of the people living in an area called the Indus Valley in what is now northwestern India and eastern Pakistan

Believed in one main god, Brahma (or Brahman), and many lesser gods.A set of sayings

and teachings called the Vedas inspired by Brahma Contain hymns and

chants

The Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity (from left ), Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, c. 1880.

Vishnu with his 10 avatars (incarnations): Fish, Tortoise, Boar, Man-Lion, Dwarf, Rāma with the Ax, King Rāma, Krishna, Buddha, and Kalkin. Painting from Jaipur, India, 19th century; in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

SOCIETY Castes – classes

1. Brahmins – priests1. Assisting people with worship and

remembering and passing the sacred texts2. Kshatriyas – soldiers and nobles3. Vishyas - farmers, merchants, and

craftspeople4. Shudras – servants and laborers5. Untouchables – people outside the other

castes who did the dirtiest jobs

SOCIETY CONT… Hindus believe people were born into a

certain caste because of their karma from a past lifeRemained a member of that caste for lifeNot allowed to associate with other castes

Around the 9th century BC the Brahmins became very powerfulAnother group, hermits, emerged as

religious leaders, who lived a simple life in the forest and devoted their life to meditation

PRACTICES Yoga

Intended to transform consciousness to free yourself from desire

Bhakti Devotion and praise to deity

Cast is irrelevant Reciting or singing name of deity Caring for image Wearing emblems or symbols representing deity

Forehead markings (Tilak )

SPREAD OF HINDUISM In the 8th century Muslims migrated to

India and after 500 years of conflict took over India

The British set up colonies and further diluted the Indian culture

Gandhi (1869-1949) – used the Hindu principle of non-violent resistance to eventually free India of British rule in 1947

BELEIFS Gurus, Hindu teachers Share a common set of beliefs

When people die they come back to earth in a process called reincarnation

A person’s good or bad behavior, called karma, during their lifetime influences their status in their next life

As a reward for good behavior, they might be born into a higher caste

As a punishment for bad behavior, the could be reborn as an animal

BELIEFS CONT… Samsara

the cycle of birth, death and rebirth

Ends when a person achieves moksha, the final stage of purity

Four stages of lifeA student, householder,

a forest hermit, and a wandering holy man Most spend their adult

life as a householder

ANIMALS Certain animals are

sacred Cow

Source of milk and cheese

Does work by pulling carts and plows

Dung is used as fuelNot allowed to kill a cowAnd most Hindus do not

eat beef Many do not eat meat of

any kind

CONCEPT OF GOD One creator-god – Brahma Vishnu – the preserver

Believed to appear in ten forms, or avatars Shiva – the destroyer

A god of opposites, responsible for destroying creation, but also for re-creating it

Special places can be gods and goddessesThe Ganges River is worshipped as a

goddess Believe the waters will wash away their sins and

cure their illnesses

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/9799882/Millions-of-Hindus-plunge-into-Ganges-River-in-India-to-wash-away-their-sins.html

SACRED WRITINGS Written over thousands of years Oldest is in Sanskrit Vedas – written between 2000 and 400

BC Rig Veda

Collection of hymns about the Hindu gods and their worship

Upanishads – which talk about reincarnation and moksha

SYMBOLS Gods and goddesses in pictures and

statues Shown to have many faces and arms Brahma has four faces to show he rules

over the four points of the compass Each rides a specific animal The written form of the sacred sound of

om or aum is used as a symbolRepresents the first sound heard in the

world and also is found at the beginning of Hindu prayers

WORSHIP/SACRED SPACE Temple or special shrine in the home Worship individually Dharma, behaving in a good or ethical

way, to be an act or worship At home, offer prayers daily

Offerings such as food, flowers, incense, milk, water, or ghee (a form of butter) to a statue or picture

Some temples are in caves or mountainsDedicated to a god or goddess

WORSHIP Before a baby is born special prayers

are offered 10 or 12th day a naming ceremony 5 or 6 months special prayers for first

solid food Another special ceremony for first

haircut and ear piercing somewhere between one and five

SACRED THREAD CEREMONY Hindu boy from one of the upper three

castes Age of 12 After a series of ritual baths and prayers

the boy is given a loop of thread It is made up of three cords, each is

made up of three twisted strands, symbolizing the interconnectedness of all existence.

The boy wears the cord over his left shoulder and under his right arm for the rest of his life.

HOLIDAYS/ FESTIVALS Holi – February or March Dussehra – September or October Diwala – October or November

MEMBERSHIP One of the world’s largest religions Close to one billion Hindus in the world

BUDDHISM

HISTORY Founded by Siddhartha Guatama (563-

483 BC) who later became know as the Buddha

Lived in northern India (present-day Nepal)

Raised in luxury and his father wanted him to become king. A fortune teller told his father that when the

boy saw four people, a poor man, and old man, a corpse and a beggar, he would leave his family and not become king.

Siddhartha saw the four men and at 29 left his family to seek out an answer as to why there was so much suffering in the world.

HISTORY CONT… For six years he travelled Meditating under and bodhi in a place

called Bodh Gaya he became aware of the answer, which he called the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path

He began to travel, preaching and teaching and became known as the Buddha (The Enlightened One)

Buddhism spread and took on different characteristics in different places.

http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/i/iconography-of-the-buddha/

BELIEFS Four Noble Truths1. There is suffering in the world.2. Suffering is caused by human desires

or greed.3. Suffering can be stopped by stopping

human desires.4. This can be done by following the

Eightfold Path.

THE EIGHTFOLD PATH1. Right understanding – understanding

the teachings of the Buddha, especially the Four Noble Truths.

2. Right thoughts – thinking about the Four Noble Truths and how to put them into practice by being kind to others.

3. Right speech – speaking kindly toward and about others.

4. Right action – acting in ways that are kind and helpful.

THE EIGHTFOLD PATH 5. Right livelihood – choosing a job that

is not harmful to others. 6. Right effort – concentrating on

becoming a better person. 7. Right mindfulness – being aware of

thoughts in order to think kindly towards others.

8. Right concentration – practicing meditation, which helps to enlighten the mind.

BELIEFS Completing the Eightfold Path is said to

have freedom from all suffering which Buddhist call reading nirvana

Buddhists believe that when a person dies he or she returns to continue in another attempt to reach nirvana

The laws of karma, reincarnation and dharma apply

CONCEPT OF GOD Buddha is not thought of as a god, but

as a person who is enlightened Any person can become a buddha

SACRED WRITINGS For centuries passed

down by monks through word of mouth

Written down in the first century, Pali Canon

Dhammapada

SYMBOLS Buddha

Hands touching the ground symbolizes his enlightenment

Reclining position shows the Buddha in a stage near to nirvana

The Wheel of life, the wheel of the lawCircular nature of

life, cycles of life and rebirth

THERAVADA BUDDHISM Sri Lanka, Burma and

southeastern AsiaMost traditional,

individual responsibilityMost become monks or

nuns to seek personal enlightenment Shave heads and wear

saffron as Buddha did, live in simplicity and meditation

Boys as young as 4 or 5 sent to a monastery

MAHAYANA BUDDHISM 2nd century BC

India, spread to Tibet, China and Japan Bodhisattvas, people who are ready to

reach nirvana but chose to help others along the path to enlightenment

Comparison of the Theravadan & Mahayanan traditions:

Theravada Buddhism Mahayana Buddhism

Reaching Nirvana is the ultimate goal of the Theravada Buddhist.

Vow to be reborn in order to help all other sentient beings reach Nirvana first.

Strives for wisdom first . Compassion is the highest virtue.

Centers on meditation, and requires major personal dedication such as being a monk or nun.

Encourages practice in the world and among the general community.

Followed as a teaching or Philosophy. Followed with reference to higher beings, more like a religion.

Moved primarily South and West covering Indochina and Ceylon (Sri-Lanka).

Moved Primarily North and West, covering China, Korea, Japan, and Tibet.

Early work written in Pali (e.g. kamma, dhamma). Early texts are in Sanskrit (e.g. karma, dharma)

Emphasizes rules and education Emphasizes intuition and practice

Politically conservative Politically liberal

Comparison of the Theravadan & Mahayanan traditions:

JAPAN In Japan- Pure Lane Buddhism Zen Buddhism –centers on meditation,

taken into JapanBelieve in enlightenment called satori, by

physical labor or meditation cross-legged

DALAI LAMA Vajrayana Buddhism or Tantric

Buddhism, Tibet – Dalai Lama, spiritual leaderWhen he dies his spirit enters a newborn

boy who becomes the next Dalai Lama

WORSHIP/SACRED SPACES Practice in all aspects of life Devotion is meditation Temples and monasteries can be found

everywhere Shrines were built to house relics of Buddha

or to house his writings When visiting a temple

Might remove shoesSit before a statue of the BuddhaRecite a short verseLeave an offeringmeditate

HOLIDAYS/FESTIVALS New Year – New Moon of February Vaishakha Festival – eighth day of the

second lunar month Hana Matsuri – April 8 Pirit

CONFUCIANISM Confucius (551-479BC) Teacher

Social harmonySociety based on respect, li

Superior person (a father, an elder brother, a ruler) was to be considerate of and benevolent toward those beneath him, and the inferior person was to be respectful and loyal.

Jen – goodness, human-heartednesss “do not do unto others what you would not want

others to do to you”Analects

Don’t have a particular concept of god

JAINISM Ancient religion of India Believe every living being has a soul and the soul

collects atomic particles, called karma, which cling to it and keep it from reaching perfection. When the body dies the soul is reborn Jains treat their bodies harshly to burn out the bad

karma Right faith, right knowledge and right conduct

Non-violence Do not eat meat and periods of fasting

Do not eat after dark so they will not accidently swallow an insect

Believe any living being has the potential to become siddha, or god, by achieving moksha

SHINTOISM Ancient traditional religion of Japan Emperor Meiji made it the official religion in 1868 Religion of nature

Supernatural spirits or gods (kami) inhabit all aspects of nature

Can be found in oceans, mountains, animals, plants and especially human ancestors.

The kami protect people who are placed in their care Izanagi and his wife, Izanami, created the earth,

they stirred the water the create many islands, the islands are Japan

Sun goddess, Amaterasu Omikami

SIKHISM Practice in the Punjab region of India Founded in the 15th century

A religion that accepted both Hindu and Muslim faith Gurus leaders built temples and established cities

During the 18th and 19th centuries fought the Muslims for control, but was taken over by the British in 1849

1947 – India and Pakistan became independent and today there is still animosity between Sikhs and Muslims but they live peacefully

Believe in one God and that all people are equal Believe it is important to care for and serve

other people